Ramkarran makes mockery of excuses for drug bond fiasco

Aug 29, 2016 News

“The Cabinet sub-committee has justified this grossly uncompetitive contract on the ground that a fire can occur and traffic is heavy at certain times on the East Bank. Well, a fire can also occur at the bond owned by Linden Holdings. What happens then? The fire hazard is a potential danger that all owners of buildings have to guard against by deploying known fire prevention mechanisms, not having alternate structures, just in case.”- Ralph Ramkarran
In a piece loaded with sarcasm, former Speaker of the National Assembly, Ralph Ramkarran has made a mockery of excuses offered by Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo as to why the sub-committee embraced the controversial drug bond contract.
Nagamootoo had told Kaieteur News that the possibility of a fire and the issue of traffic congestion were two of the reasons considered for embracing the contract.
Ramkarran has said that these reasons simply cannot stand. He even said the Government might make mistakes, as Vice President Khemraj Ramjattan admitted, “But it does not lack an innovative and fertile imagination.”
The former Speaker stated, “These excuses to justify continuing with a horrendously bad deal makes it difficult to dispel the notion that the Government is playing fast and loose with taxpayers moneys and that the Cabinet sub-committee was not appointed to apply a whitewash.”
Citing the fire excuse, Ramkarran said, “Well, a fire can also occur at the bond owned by Linden Holdings. What happens then? The fire hazard is a potential danger that all owners of buildings have to guard against by deploying known fire prevention mechanisms, not having alternate structures, just in case.”
Ramkarran said that having regard to the decision of the Cabinet sub-committee, and the ‘just in case’ principle of governance now adopted, word around town is that the Cabinet has decided to appoint a Cabinet sub-committee to establish a national fire plan, just in case, starting with the health sector.

Former House Speaker, Ralph Ramkarran

He posited that the sub-committee would have the same members—Minster Raphael Trotman, Minister Joseph Harmon and Prime Minister Nagamootoo—but consideration may be given to the inclusion of Minister of Public Health, George Norton.
Ramkarran said that this committee may initially look at measures to sole source buildings countrywide, have them equipped by the owners as hospitals, for which the Government will advance the funds, and have them on standby just in case there is a fire at one of the hospitals.
“Since Government work cannot be interrupted, the Cabinet sub-committee will have to make preparations for Government business to continue if there is a fire at one or more Ministries. Take, for example, the NIS office or the post offices, where pensioners collect their pensions. Great suffering will ensue if these offices are affected by fire. Government can sole source alternate buildings, have them equipped by advances to the owners and pay rent and have them vacant in case there is a fire,” said Ramkarran.
Ramkarran said that it will also be convenient if banks are able to move into buildings which they have on standby and equipped just in case there are fires. “The day after the fire they would receive the moneys from the Bank of Guyana and be back in business.”
The former Speaker continued, “Our large manufacturing concerns such as Banks DIH and DDL would be advised by the Cabinet sub-committee to construct by sole sourcing alternate factories fully equipped in the event of fire. This will ensure that production is not interrupted and the imbibers of El Dorado and XM will not be deprived. I’m partial to Banks beer myself and would be horrified at having to endure an interruption in supply.”
Ramkarran said that it is possible that the government has a secret plan, when the oil moneys start to flow, to appoint a Cabinet sub-committee to plan for the construction and equipping of an alternate city just in case there is a damaging fire as has occurred in the past.

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